[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: The "friends-of-peace-moderate-Fatah" gunmen only
had light weapons that could not pierce the armor plating of Prime Minister
Olmert's car.

That's this time.

After all, as part of the program to support "moderate" Abbas and the
"moderate" PA security forces they are supposed to be armed to the teeth
with heavier weapons.]

'Olmert's would-be assassins were meant to guard his convoy'
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST Oct. 21, 2007
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Some of the five Fatah operatives suspected of plotting to assassinate Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert were members of the PA security forces and were meant
to guard the prime minister's convoy, Chanel 2 quoted Israeli security
officials as saying on Sunday.

Earlier Sunday, Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin informed the cabinet of the plot
to fire at the prime minister's convoy during a trip to Jericho to meet with
PA President Mahmoud Abbas on August 6.

In the wake of the plot, the Shin Bet said it would now prevent any meetings
involving Israeli officials in Area A - the area under full Palestinian
control.
According to Diskin's report, the Shin Bet obtained intelligence on the
planned assassination attempt and arrested two of the suspects. Israel then
transferred the details of the plot to the PA, whose security forces
promptly arrested the three remaining members of the. All five confessed to
their involvement in the plot and they were detained by the PA. However, two
months later, to Israel's astonishment, the IDF discovered two of the
suspects at a checkpoint near Jericho. Israel informed top Palestinian
negotiator Ahmed Qurei (also known as Abu Ala) of the discovery who assured
Israel that all the suspects were still in custody. However, on Friday, upon
further examination, it became clear that they had indeed been released by
lower ranked PA officials.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad said that the five Fatah
operatives were rearrested last week and are currently being held in
custody.
Fayad told Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik and eight MKs during a meeting in
Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon that the suspects were released a month ago in
error.

The PA prime minister said that the proper lessons had been learned so that
such a mistake would not reoccur.

Fayad also claimed that Olmert was never seriously threatened by the plot,
and promised to do his best to rein in West Bank militants.

There was nothing "imminently dangerous," Fayad said as he arrived for the
meeting with Itzik. "We are trying the very best we can to bring law and
order to the cities, villages and areas that are under our control."

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter also said that the Olmert's life was
not in real danger since the operatives planned to use light ammunition
which would not have been able to pierce the prime minister's car. However,
Dichter said, "This was no reason to release the suspects".

PA Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Habash rejected the possibility that the
Fatah operatives planned to assassinate Olmert.

Habash made the remarks during a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Shalom
Simhon. During their talks, the two also spoke of renewing the agricultural
trade channel between Israel and Gaza.

Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the peace process
must be frozen until all details about the plot are clarified.

NU-NRP chairman Zevulun Orlev called for Israel to re-arrest all the Fatah
operatives released by the PA security forces. He added that Olmert should
cut off all contact with Abbas, who, Orlev said, "protects terrorists."

Orlev also said that Israel should boycott the Annapolis conference, a call
echoed by MK Yuli Edelstein (Likud). However, Olmert insisted that Israel
would participate in the US-sponsored Middle East parley, Army Radio
reported.

Nevertheless, referring to the early release of the suspects, Olmert said
that the PA's conduct was "a source of discomfort."

"Israel will find the manner in which to express its discomfort on the
issue," he said before leaving Israel for France. "However, [Israel] has no
intention of halting negotiations with the Palestinians."

Likud MK Yuval Steinitz told Army Radio that the narrowly-averted
assassination attempt was proof that Abbas can't control his own Fatah
forces, let alone Hamas.

"Even assuming goodwill on the part of Abbas... we've just seen a red
warning light. Don't delude yourselves - [Abbas] doesn't control his own
forces. This is neither the time nor the place for agreements [with the
Palestinians]," Steinitz said shortly after Diskin made his report to the
cabinet.

However, Meretz chairman Yossi Beilin told Army Radio, despite the report of
the planned assassination, Israel could not "be the prisoner of those
elements who don't want the parley to take place."

Beilin said that Diskin's report to the cabinet should "absolutely not"
influence Israel's plans to participate in the Annapolis meeting.